BiblioAsia Podcast

Hawkers traditionally sell their food on streets. Uniquely in Singapore though, they ply their trade in fixed stalls in hawker centres. Ryan Kueh, author of the bestselling From Streets to Stalls, tells us how the hawker culture has evolved in Singapore since the colonial period and what hawker centres have come to represent.Ryan Kueh holds a master’s degree from Tsinghua University under the Schwarzman Scholars programme and completed his bachelor’s at Yale–NUS College, where he read philosophy, politics, economics and history. His key research focus is consumption culture and history, with a secondary interest in international affairs. He is the author of From Streets to Stalls: The History and Evolution of Hawking and Hawker Centres in Singapore.What Ryan Talked About00:00 – How the term “hawker” is understood differently in Singapore, compared to in other countries04:44 – When hawking might have started in Singapore05:20– Preconditions for hawking07:11– Colonial records, and hygiene and urban discipline issues during colonial times09:06 – Why hawking was an attractive and accessible job then10:39– Challenges colonial authorities faced in controlling hawkers11:47 – Post-independence reforms in hawking14:25– Establishment of hawker centres and their purpose15:47 – How rent subsidies keep hawker food affordable17:43– Origins of the first hawker centre and differences from hawker shelters20:12– Loss of food heritage23:27– Gentrification in hawker centres25:27– Hawking as a vocation in the past and today27:44– Why Singapore’s hawker culture won the UNESCO recognition for intangible cultural heritage30:04– Contemporary political use of hawker centres31:51– What Ryan is working on and what his favourite hawker centre is36:47 – Hawking is…TranscriptRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-hawker-culture-in-singapore-ryan-kueh/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Ryan for coming on the show.The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

When Peng Tsu Ying came to Singapore from Shanghai in the late 1940s, he could not find a deaf person like him. Determined to improve the situation for the deaf community, he founded Singapore's first school for the deaf in 1954. Librarian Nathaniel Chew tells us about Peng's advocacy, his own journey learning the Singapore Sign Language and the different ways it has evolved.Nathaniel Chew is a librarian with the National Library Singapore. He works with the Singapore and Southeast Asia Collection, and his research interests lie at the intersection of language and society.What Nathaniel Talked About02:13 – Who Peng Tsu Ying was04:07 – What Singapore was like for the deaf community before WWII05:34 – How Peng started the first school for the deaf07:42 – Peng’s foray into car racing10:12 – Joining forces with the Red Cross11:13 – What the Singapore Sign Language is19:00 – How Nathaniel got interested in sign language19:40 – Peng’s influence on Singapore’s deaf community22:17 – Nathaniel’s research interest in linguistics23:56 – Nathaniel’s take on Singlish25:28 – BiblioAsia is…Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-peng-tsu-ying-singapore-pioneering-deaf-educator-nathaniel-chew/Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-21-issue-1-apr-jun-2025-deaf-education-singapore-sign-language/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Doppler Soundlab. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Nathaniel for coming on the show.The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Zubir Said (1907–87) gave Singapore its national anthem, “Majulah Singapura”, and its official Children’s Day song, “Semoga Bahagia”. Working with theatre company Wild Rice, music director Julian Wong put together a critically acclaimed production on the life of Pak Zubir that mixed history, music and memory in a moving show, Don't Call Him Mr. Mari Kita. Performances were sold out in 2022 and 2024. In this episode, Julian tells us the challenges of putting up the show, including the research and transcription, and reveals if he’s a Swiftie.Julian Wong is a composer, arranger, music director, educator and performer. He has composed for Wild Rice, including An Inspector Calls, Pinocchio, Tartuffe: The Imposter, etc. As music director, he has helmed overseas assignments such as Liao Zhai Rocks! (Shanghai) and Spotlight Singapore (Mexico City), as well as home-grown projects such as Hossan Leong’s Hossan-AH! 50, Pam Oei’s Faghag and The Theatre Practice’s If There’re Seasons. Additionally, Julian has conducted and arranged for Joyful Strings, Ministry of Bellz, Orchestra of the Music Makers, Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, and many more. Julian graduated from Berklee College of Music, where he received the Professional Music Excellence Award and Alex Ulanowski Award. In 2023, he received the Young Artist Award, Singapore’s highest award for young arts practitioners.What Julian Talked About03:07 – How the show Don't Call Him Mr. Mari Kita came about05:17 – Julian’s research into the life of Pak Zubir Said08:04 – Performing the show during Covid10:13 – How Julian arranged his version of “Semoga Bahagia”12:35 – Difficulties of researching Pak Zubir’s life13:40 – The most interesting discovery about Pak Zubir15:49 – A touching story about Pak Zubir17:50 – Continuing the legacy of teacher-student collaborations18:59 – How “Majulah Singapura” was conceived22:44 – What Julian learnt about Pak Zubir from his teacher Iskandar Ismail24:42 – Julian’s relationship with his teacher26:37 – Mentoring students budding musicians at ITE27:57 – On winning the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council29:43 – Favourite song from Don't Call Him Mr. Mari Kita31:36 – What he’s working on32:54 – Julian’s favourite musician34:06 – Is he a Swiftie?Transcript Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-life-and-legacy-zubir-said-julian-wong/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Doppler Soundlab. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. This version of “Semoga Bahagia” was composed by Zubir Said, produced by Julian Wong and performed by Wild Rice. Special thanks to Julian for coming on the show.The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Singaporeans love animals, but only selectively. Otters, Ah Meng the orangutan, and Inuka the polar bear are among the beloved. Less favoured are monkeys in the Botanic Gardens, many of which were culled before WWII, and pesky Aedes mosquitoes. Environmental historian Timothy Barnard tells us how some of these migrant animals came to be here, how they’ve been treated, and what makes them Singaporean.Timothy P. Barnard is an associate professor in the Department of History at the National University of Singapore, where he specialises in the environmental and cultural history of island Southeast Asia. He is the author of Imperial Creatures and Nature's Colony, and the editor of Nature Contained and Singaporean Creatures.What Timothy Talked About02:26 – Monkeys in the Botanic Gardens before WWII07:15 – Understanding Singapore’s history through its animals08:41 – What makes a creature Singaporean?10:10 – How the Garden City concept shaped human-animal relationships in Singapore12:34 – Why some recognisable Singaporean animals were left out of the book14:31 – Otters as returning migrants16:33 – Singaporeans’ fondness for the zoo and its creatures20:31 – How Tim came to be interested in environmental history23:37 – Challenges in teaching environmental history26:01 – The animal he would like to interview27:13 – The profession he would pick if he weren't a historianTranscript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-what-makes-an-animal-singaporean-timothy-barnard/Check out the book: Singaporean Creatures: Histories of Humans and Other Animals in the Garden City.Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Doppler Soundlab. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Tim for coming on the show.The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

A journalist turned politician turned diplomat, S. Rajaratnam (1915–2006) wore many hats in the service of Singapore. His contribution to Singapore is so great that to cover his life adequately required 20 years of research and over 1,200 pages of writing. Irene Ng, his authorised biographer, tells us little-known facets of the man, his legacy as Singapore’s founding foreign and culture minister, and his relationship with Lee Kuan Yew.Irene Ng is the authorised biographer of S. Rajaratnam and writer-in-residence at the Institute of ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. She was formerly an award-winning senior political correspondent and a Member of Parliament in Singapore.What Irene Talked About02:29 – Irene’s first meeting with S. Rajaratnam and her impressions of him04:17 – How a journalistic background helped Irene connect with him06:10 – Rajaratnam's personality07:55 – Main themes of the second volume of Rajaratnam biography, The Lion’s Roar10:24 – Why young Singaporeans should read the biography14:49 – How Singapore’s pledge came from Rajaratnam’s ideals19:07 – Rajaratnam's relationship with Lee Kuan Yew24:41 – Rajaratnam’s legacy in shaping Singapore’s foreign policy26:11 – Qualities that made Rajaratnam the ideal founding foreign minister28:04 – Rajaratnam’s impact as the culture minister30:51 – His forgotten achievements as the labour minister35:10 – What inspired Irene to write Rajaratnam’s biography37:30 – Challenges in writing the second volume of the biography39:40 – Irene’s take on criticisms about the book based on her history as a politician44:58 – What Irene reads for leisure46:06 – Biographies that inspired Irene49:00 – What’s next for Irene49:38 – Irene’s Singapore dreamTranscript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-s-rajaratnam-singapores-first-foreign-minister/Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-20-issue-3-oct-dec-2024-rajaratnam-biography-lions-roar/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Doppler Soundlab. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Irene for coming on the show.The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

MasterChef Singapore judge Damian D’Silva grew up by the sea and spent many happy hours foraging for horseshoe crabs, shellfish and sea snails that would end up in the cooking pot. In this episode, he talks about how his childhood and grandfather influenced his cooking philosophy, when he found his calling in the kitchen (later than you'd expect), and what's left for him after winning the prestigious culinary award La Liste.Chef Damian D’Silva is a judge on MasterChef Singapore and the first Singaporean to be awarded the prestigious culinary prize Artisan & Authenticity Award 2024 from La Liste, a French ranking and restaurants guide. An advocate for local culinary heritage, he helms Rempapa, a multicultural restaurant serving dishes from the ethnicities in Singapore.What Damian Talked About02:15 – Why Damian chose to cook sea snail and papaya curry on From Book to Cook04:26 – Foraging in the sea and on land07:46 – His fascination with Western culture and food as a teenager08:28 – The Malay and Peranakan version of the sea snail and papaya curry dish08:50 – His experience of growing up in a community with different ethnicities10:09 – Foraging for horseshoe crabs and cooking them12:32 – About his grandfather, who had the greatest influence on Damian’s cooking journey14:20 – The difference between a cook and a chief18:01 – When Damian found out that cooking is his calling20:26 – Why heritage cuisine is important22:45 – How Eurasian cuisine is unique25:23 – What’s next for Damian D’Silva after winning the Artisan & Authenticity Award 2024 from La Liste27:53 – Why he has not written a cookbook29:18 – The hardest thing about being a chef32:28 – The one thing Damian would rather buy than make on his own34:06 – Food is…Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-sea-foraging-eurasian-cuisine/Watch Damian make sea snail and papaya curry: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/videos-sea-snail-papaya-curry/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore: https://form.gov.sg/616799db4d9b61001398f79bThis episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Damian for coming on the show.The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Set up by five Buddhist women in 1946, Loke Woh Yuen was the first Chinese vegetarian restaurant in Singapore. It employed an all-female staff, was known for its popular shark’s fin made from maize, and was sometimes so packed that it had to set up dining tents that stretched to the main road. Its efforts to spread vegetarianism were complemented by other Buddhist women and nuns who wrote cookbooks and fundraised for charity.Kelvin Tan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from the National University of Singapore. He was a research assistant for the project “Mapping Female Religious Heritage in Singapore: Chinese Temples as Sites of Regional Socio-cultural Linkage” funded by the National Heritage Board.What Kelvin Talked About01:48 – The founders of Chinese vegetarian restaurants in 1940s–50s05:28 – The most popular dishes at the vegetarian restaurant Loke Woh Yuen06:26 – How Fut Sai Kai Vegetarian Restaurant differs from Loke Woh Yuen07:26 – Ko Tian-gu, the founder of Fut Sai Kai08:37 – Cookbooks that helped to spread vegetarianism10:57 – The famous vegetarian soon kueh recipe by Abbess Yang Qincai of the temple Hai Inn See12:24 – Legacy of early Chinese vegetarian restaurants in philanthropy and Buddhist education13:55 – Resources Kelvin used in his research.16:40 – Why early Chinese vegetarian restaurants have Cantonese heritage18:58 – The vegetarian dish that Kelvin wants to master nextTranscript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-chinese-vegetarian-foodscape/Watch Kelvin make soon kueh: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/videos-soon-kueh/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore: https://form.gov.sg/616799db4d9b61001398f79bThis episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Gibson Analytics. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Kelvin for coming on the show.The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

You hear Malay, Javanese, Tamil and Punjabi as you wander the streets with shops selling colourful textiles and carpets, spices and flowers. Here you find different curries and bread, nasi padang, sup tulang, mee siam, a Javanese kitchen, Hainanese coffeeshops. Bookstores sell literature and newspapers as far away as Cairo. In this episode, Khir tells us about the Kampong Gelam he grew up in.Khir Johari was born and raised in historic Kampong Gelam, Singapore. He studied mathematics at Santa Clara University in California, and completed a masters in education at Stanford University. Since returning to Singapore, Khir has focused on research into the food cultures of maritime Southeast Asia. He is the author of The Food of Singapore Malays: Gastronomic Travels through the Archipelago (Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2021).What Khir Talked About02:32 – The origins of mee maidin, the dish that Khir cooked in From Book to Cook07:18 – Kampong Gelam as the incubator for the Nusantara (Malay World) kitchen09:19 – Four main streets in Kampong Gelam selling food, including the only place in Singapore that sells mee odong14:35 – The origins of mee siam17:46 – Three types of mee siam that came out of Kampong Gelam18:36 – Khir’s childhood in Kampong Gelam, where the Tamil Muslim community organized an annual commemoration of a Sufi saint20:23 – Publishing houses in Kampong Gelam22:51 – Why Khir spent 10 years writing the book The Food of Singapore Malays27:12 – What Khir is working on now28:38 – Khir’s dream job if he lived in Kampong Gelam in the 19th century29:37 – The most maligned ingredient in Malay cooking31:15 – The one recipe in his book Khir wants people to try33:07 – Food is…Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-kampong-glam-kitchen-malay-world/Watch Khir make mee maidin: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/videos-mee-maidin/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore: https://form.gov.sg/616799db4d9b61001398f79bThis episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Khir for coming on the show.Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.